Tesla rolls out Cybercab in parts of Austin, driverless taxi
Tesla just rolled out its fully self-driving taxi, the Cybercab, in parts of Austin.
This two-seater has no steering wheel or pedals. Just hop in and let it drive.
It's Tesla's first car made for totally unsupervised rides. Elon Musk called it "the first car that is specifically built for unsupervised full self-driving," making it a big step toward his dream of a driverless ride-hailing network.
Regulatory limits slow cybercab rollout
Even with all the hype, Cybercab faces some roadblocks. Federal regulations limit the number of vehicles any manufacturer can sell without a steering wheel and pedals, so you won't see these everywhere yet, especially not in places like California.
Right now, Texas has 45 Cybercabs, registered in Texas as of Wednesday evening, out of 420 autonomous vehicles registered in Texas.
These vehicles are key to Tesla's $1.4 trillion valuation, but rollout is slow thanks to tough regulations and safety reviews by authorities such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA.